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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]Nature Holiday in Estonia
Never Fails to
Amaze
1
Nature Holiday in Estonia
www.visitestonia.com
Estonia,
nature’s home
For nature lovers, the north European country
of Estonia is a dreamland. For such a small na-
tion, Estonia is astonishing with its diverse and
untouched nature.
time for a short stopover on coastal marshes.
Estonia’s species-rich grasslands compete in this
regard with tropical areas. In Laelatu in western
Estonia, for example, over 70 different plant spe-
cies were discovered in one single square metre,
the second most abundant ground in Europe.
An evening view of the bog
The kingdom of forests
and bogs
Forests are practically silent during the winter
months, but in April and May a choir of birds
cuts loose. This is when chaffinches, blackbirds,
cuckoos and many others with beautiful voices
return from the south. During spring nights, the
forest is alive with hooting owls and the cacoph-
ony of the grouse performing a wedding dance.
This is a place where the land meets the sea,
bogs are interspersed with virgin forest, fields
and fish-rich rivers and lakes. Add to this four
seasons of immense variety: a crisp spring, a
warm summer of white nights, an autumn abun-
dant in colour and a winter of deep, soft snows.
It should be also noted that Estonia’s low popu-
lation density offers nature-loving adventurers
plenty of space to themselves. The mobile tel-
ephone and internet reception found all over the
country enables communication with the rest of
the world in the most remote locations: isolated
beaches or deep in the forest.
When travelling through Estonia forests, which
cover more than half of Estonia’s dry land,
are
always in view, whether dark fir, beautiful pines,
or birch groves filled with birdsong. Some Eu-
ropean countries may possess more forests, but
they cannot compete with the amount of Esto-
nia’s virgin forests.
In the woodlands which cover half of Estonia,
wolves and bears are found in the midst of other
rarities. In countries south of Estonia, these ani-
mals are not easily found.
There are roughly
90 different species of trees
in
Estonian forests. In addition to rabbit, fox, roe-
buck, elk and wild boar, also present are wolf,
lynx, deer and the European mink. When visiting
the virgin forests of
Alutaguse
, an encounter is
likely with the very rare
flying squirrel
or even a
bear. The heavily forested Alutaguse is referred
to locally as Estonia’s bears’ den. More than 100
of these honey lovers freely roam there.
One fact that most vividly speaks for Estonia’s
nature is that a quarter of Estonia’s territory is
designated as a nature reserve. Altogether, five
national parks and hundreds of other preserves
have been established to maintain nature’s
unique value. Practically all of them tempt na-
ture lovers with numerous hiking trails, as well as
bivouacking opportunities, and overnight stays
in charming cabins.
Local reptiles are frequently seen sunbathing on
forest roads; vipers with zigzag patterns, yellow-
spotted grass snakes and shiny metallic blind-
worms. The viper is Estonia’s only poisonous
snake, which means it isn’t such a good idea to
touch them.
Estonia is considered one of the world’s best
bird-watching destinations due to its prime fly-
way location. Every spring, millions of waterfowl
which nest in the Arctic pass through western Es-
tonia. Hundreds of thousands of these birds take
A meeting at the forest’s edge
A mother bear in the virgin forest of Alutaguse
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Nature Holiday in Estonia
Nature Holiday in Estonia
If Estonia is truly the kingdom of bogs, then its
king is surely
Soomaa
with its five bogs, the larg-
est and most prominent of them is the 10,000
hectares of Kuresoo. Soomaa National Park is
not only regarded internationally as an impor-
tant wetland, but it is a nominee for inclusion in
the
UNESCO
World Heritage List.
The rigorously protected golden eagles and wil-
low grouse will sometimes show themselves to
hikers.
Geological miracles
The symbol of northern Estonia and perhaps
even of all Estonian nature is the high
limestone
coastal bank with its beautiful waterfalls.
The
bank stretches from the Swedish island of Öland
more than a thousand kilometres to Russia’s
Lake Ladoga. This miracle is also a candidate for
UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
A white-tailed eagle hunting
layers are also visible.
The slate bank is an open
window to the earth’s 4.5 billion year old geo-
logical history.
Nature enthusiasts in Nigula bog
The symbolic birds of ancient Estonian forests
are wood grouse and eagles: golden eagles, os-
preys and spotted eagles.
beside plentiful marsh trails. Near the edge of
the bog,
cowberries, bilberries, and blueberries
are waiting to be tasted. Thirst can be quenched
with the slightly bitter bog water. A drink more
pure is nowhere to be found.
While the height of slate klint in Öland measures
only 10 metres, the Ontika bank on Estonia’s
northern coast rises at places to 56 metres. The
highest falls in the bank are located in Valaste.
From the viewing platform here, scenic strata
Especially during the spring and autumn high
water periods, but also during other seasons, the
eight-metre high Jägala waterfall offers a spec-
tacular view.
Estonia might easily be called the kingdom of
bogs
since approximately one quarter of the
country is covered in marshes. From any point
on Estonia’s mainland, the nearest marsh is al-
ways less than 10 km away.
Over 10,000 years ago, bogs that began to
evolve after the last ice age, have today become
time capsules where pure, untouched nature is
preserved. Bogs are a place of peace and quiet,
a pleasant escape from the clamour of everyday
life.
Virgin forests, surrounded by mostly untouched
wetlands, serve as home to many endangered
species. With practically every step a lovely
or-
chid
is visible. With a little luck, an
eagle
may be
seen overhead.
Since a knee-high pine in a bog can be an entire
century old
it is not wise to break branches. Vita-
min-rich red
cranberries
– sometimes known as
northern lemons – grow on the soft peat moss
A handful of lingonberries and blueberries
North Estonia’s limestone cliff
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Nature Holiday in Estonia
Nature Holiday in Estonia
underground riverbeds. During the high-water
periods of spring and autumn, the underground
rivers well up and cause the witches’ well to
“boil” over with water. On some days, 100 litres
of water per second splash out of the well. Ac-
cording to legend, this is caused by witches beat-
ing themselves with leafy twigs in a sauna deep
in the well. Actually, the rare spectacle is caused
by the well’s alignment with an underground
river and water escaping through a slate crack.
The coast of northern Estonia is also known for
its giant
boulders
left behind 10,000 years ago
by the retreating ice layer from the Scandinavian
archipelago.
The biggest boulder in all of what once was
northern Europe’s ice field is Estonia’s Ehalkivi
boulder. It can be seen near the city of Kunda
on the Letipea cape. The circumference of this
rock in the shallow sea is almost 50 metres, so
it would take a party of 40 to surround the rock
by joining hands. The boulder, worn round over
time, weighs over 2,400 tons.
Tuhala’s witch’s well
The slate ground of north Estonia has eroded to
form a
karst
which resembles Swiss cheese. The
largest area of karst is on the
Tuhala
Geologi-
cal Reserve. Tuhala has become famous for its
witches’ well and its rivers which have carved
The Kaali meteor crater on Saaremaa Island
The ice age brought boulders to Estonia, but it
also served to design the general terrain accord-
ing to its taste. Another masterpiece of ice is one
of the most beautiful as well as one of the high-
est places in the Baltic:
the hill country of south-
ern Estonia.
Here, one round-shaped hill follows
another, some covered with fields and others
with forest or meadow, blue lakes and spectacu-
lar valleys in their midst. This idyllic landscape is
the Karula National Park.
ago, is
the Kaali field of meteorite craters.
It is
Estonia’s rarest natural memorial and also the
most imposing crater group in the whole of the
Eurasian continent. Its largest crater measures
110 metres in diameter and 16 metres deep.
The highest peak in the Baltics is
Suur Munamä-
gi (literally “Big Egg Hill”),
which is 318 metres
above sea level in the Haanja uplands. Unlike
northern Estonia, the bedrock in this part of the
country is red sandstone. It can be seen in high
bluffs in the local river valleys, the most impos-
ing near the banks of the Ahja river in Taevasko-
ja and the Härma wall at the Piusa river.
Estonia is
more densely covered in meteorite cra-
ters than anywhere else in the world.
As far as
can be determined, six cosmic rocks have fallen
on the country’s 45,227 square-kilometre terri-
tory. One of them, formed about 7,500 years
Southern Estonia’s hilly landscape
The Piusa sandstone caves in Southern-Estonia
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Nature Holiday in Estonia
Nature Holiday in Estonia
In addition to the Hiiumaa islets in the national
preserve, on Saaremaa’s western coast is Vilsan-
di National Park, where many rare plant species
grow and Europe’s oldest bird watching tower
may be found.
Without the sea, western Estonia would not
have Estonia’s natural crown jewels, the species-
rich
beach and meadow grasses,
which are not
found elsewhere in Europe. These meadows are
the result of centuries of mowing and shepherd-
ing. In addition to rare orchids, the meadows are
home to great snipes, Baltic dunlins and the rare
natterjack toad.
In northern Estonia, there’s another place whose
diverse nature is related to the sea; Lahemaa
National Park. One cannot escape Lahemaa
without witnessing its beautiful sand beaches,
seaside villages enclosed in pine forests, penin-
sulas and islands.
Boat trip on the river Suur-Emajõgi
and jagged shoreline, is found in the hill country
of southern Estonia. Most of Estonia’s lakes are
rich in fish and fishermen catch pike, bass, pike-
perch and bream.
The coastline of Saaremaa Island
Hanikatsi, Vareslaid, Kõrgelaid and Ahelaid.
The aquatic world –
the sea, islands, rivers,
lakes
Scientists have registered over
600 different
plant species
on these extremely rich lands, the
rarest being the shining geranium, fly orchid
and male orchid. When between the islets in a
boat or kayak, it is not unusual to happen upon
protected species such as a grey or ringed seal
poking his head out of the water to survey the
situation.
Estonia is rich in
rivers and lakes.
Lakes at least a
hectare in size number roughly 1,200. There are
more than 7,000 rivers and streams.
In summer, warm-water lakes attract sunbathers.
In winter, frozen lakes are magnets for skaters.
Peipsi Lake has traditionally been the setting for
an annual skating marathon. Rivers with regular
flows are popular with canoeists, the best con-
sidered to be south Estonia’s Võhandu River,
which at 162 kilometres is Estonia’s longest.
Estonia is bordered by the Baltic Sea on the
north and west. This expanse bulges with large
and small islands which number as many as
1,500.
Few countries in the world boast such
an abundance of islands. The biggest islands are
Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Muhu and Vormsi.
On Estonia’s eastern border is Europe’s fifth larg-
est lake,
Peipsi-Pihkva.
But what is considered
Estonia’s most beautiful body of water, Pühajärv
(literally “Holy Lake”), with its forested islands
Estonian islands are marked by jagged coastlines
and an abundance of
peninsulas.
The peninsula offering the most impressive views
of the sea is undoubtedly
Sääretirp
, the long and
narrow rocky strip of land which runs to the
sea in southern Hiiumaa. It is an esker, heavily
worked by the sea, which in higher places is full
of vegetation. Junipers, guelder rose, buckthorn,
and sea kale stand side by side, tenaciously defy-
ing storms.
An islet preserve is located in the sea near Sääre-
tirp consisting of ten Nordic paradise islands.
The larger islets which contain broadleaf forests
and impenetrable juniper thickets are Saarnaki,
A friendly greeting
Fishermen on Lake Peipsi
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Nature Holiday in Estonia
Nature Holiday in Estonia
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
